Chilly!

image from Clipart Library

 Friday saw me back in the garden, continuing to make the most of the dry weather.  It was lovely and sunny but the wind was bitingly chilly ~ thankfully my gardening gloves have a nice fleecy lining!  I was amazed to see a young woman walking her dog, wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt (the lass, not the dog, obviously 😄) ~ meanwhile yours truly was wearing a camisole beneath an old short-sleeved top along with an equally old cardigan and fleece jacket (all of which are saved for gardening and "dirty" jobs), topped off with a scarf and woolly hat 😯 

You may recall that I planted some celery last year.  The plants didn't do anything, not even putting on much growth, nevertheless the ones that survived have come through the winter.  As you may have guessed, I have no idea what I'm doing here ~ I've decided to just let the plants do their own thing and see what happens!

I decided to get all the vegetable beds weeded before things started to get out of hand.  There were more weeds in the asparagus bed than the other three, but even so it really didn't take long at all to tidy them up.  I'm not convinced, by the way, that the asparagus will grow this year as there is no sign of any shoots whatsoever.  If nothing is forthcoming I think I shall probably put it down to experience and use the bed as part of the crop rotation.

This is the old strawberry bed, which I have now planted up with this year's potato crop.  I have two varieties: Kestrel and Jazzy.  As you know, I like to divide my beds into approximately 12"/30cm squares to try to give some semblance of order 😉  I find this works out very nicely for my potato crops ~ I can just put one seed potato in the middle of each square and then I roughly know where to start harvesting in due course.  There were only 10 Kestrel seed potatoes making up the 1kg I bought, so I decided to move a couple of the pots of tulips (that I'm growing for cutting) into two of the corner spaces in the bed.  I had too many Jazzy for the 12 allocated squares, so the leftovers have now been planted in large pots.  I did that yesterday and the pots are now sitting beside bed number 5, on the Jazzy side of course 😃 

Once I'd finished with the raised beds, I turned my attention to the upper patio area.  I completely forgot to take any "before" photos, but to be honest you probably wouldn't notice much difference 😄  The tubs had barely any weeds in them, so it was mostly a case of lightly pruning the roses and buddleja and "fluffing up" the soil after being pounded by wet weather over the winter.  I also gave the roses a sprinkling of rose feed granules, and the buddleja a scattering of chicken manure pellets.

Everything in the raised bed ~ that Adrian made taller last year ~ has survived both being moved from elsewhere in the garden, and the ravages of the winter weather.  Again, there weren't too may weeds to be dealt with although there were a few dandelions that I know I didn't get completely pulled out, so they will be putting in an appearance again very soon no doubt 😒

Look what I found!  That, my lovelies, is a piece of the humungous fuchsia that Beverly and Lyndi removed from beside the pond last year!  Good job I found it otherwise it would be trying to make a come-back bid 😏

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)    

Getting back into the swing of things

Whilst I was pottering about yesterday, Adrian was in full-scale demolition mode 😄  You've seen photos of the arbour seat many times over the years being utilised as a temporary shelter for plants, most recently for the dahlias as I didn't get round to taking the tubers out of the pots ~ I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I still haven't done so but I promise it is on my list 😉  It's never been used properly as a seat, even when we still lived in Hitchin, as the bench is just a little too high to be comfortable ~ plus I wasn't keen on sharing the space with the spiders that like to make their homes there!  I can't remember now if I ever mentioned that rather than get rid of it, we decided we were going to try to convert the structure into proper, designated, place for plants, and that's what Adrian made a start on yesterday.

It took him a few hours to dismantle the storage bench section because all the screws were rusted to buggery, and as he didn't want to damage the "shelter" part of the structure, he took went at it very carefully and slowly.  We're undecided at the moment as to whether to add shelves and doors ourselves, or see if we can find a readymade growhouse that will fit within the shelter.  I suspect that as our carpentry skills are rather basic, it will be the latter!   

I forgot to mention yesterday that Adrian did another little job for me on Wednesday: namely, numbering the kitchen garden raised beds.  I bought the numbers, which are on little slate plaques, some time back but we just never got round to fixing them to the beds before the winter arrived.

It all looks very efficient out there now, almost as if I actually know what I'm doing.....which we all know of course, isn't true in the slightest 😏

I spent most of the day in the back garden tidying up the beds in the utility area, although I didn't actually get round to this bed which is between the shed and log store.  To be fair, it shouldn't take long to do as there are only a handful of weeds in it at the moment.  I'd forgotten how many daffodils I'd moved into the bed from the front garden!  They look lovely, as do the catkins on the willow, although it was hard to take a decent photo as it was pretty windy.

I decided to get the other beds weeded before I move back out to work in the kitchen garden.  Again, these two beds weren't too bad and it didn't take long to get them tidy again.

I needed to tidy the fruit tree bed so that I could move the remaining strawberries from the kitchen garden.

I also wanted to do something with these bulbs that have been languishing in pots all winter, having been dug up from various parts of the garden.  Some of them haven't come up at all, so I suspect that the bulbs have rotted away, and some have just sent up leaves.  I'll probably plop the latter in the border with the bay tree to see if they flower next year.

As you can see though, the tulips (Orange Beauty) and narcissus (Sempre Avanti) are flowering, despite the less-than-optimal growing conditions!  The latter has a rather lovely, delicate, scent although you do have to put your nose very close to the plant to appreciate it 😊  

I dug out all the strawberries and planted just over a dozen in the fruit tree bed, along with the tulips and narcissus.  I'm just using the strawberries as ground cover, really, so if I manage to harvest any berries before the birds get them it will be an added bonus 😄  I've still got a fair few London Pride plants in the front garden that will need to be moved so I'll put a few along the back of this bed, again as ground cover.

I was amazed at just how many strawberry plants I dug up, and even after I'd planted up this bed I was still left with more than I needed.  As it happens Thursday is the day we usually have a home delivery from Tesco, and fortuitously the driver this week was a chap that has a large fruit and veggie garden, so he happily took the spare plants off my hands!  

Next to be tackled was the bay tree bed, which as you can see was a tad more weedy than the previous one. I'm not too sure what's happened to the bay tree, but I suspect Adrian got a little snip-happy when he cut back next door's shrubs that were overhanging our garden 😉  

Nevertheless, it didn't take too long to tidy it up and I now have a clear run for plopping in those other bulbs, along with some more of the London Pride.  I tidied up the bay tree although it's still a bit of a weird shape!  It seems to like it in this spot, though, so hopefully it will soon grow out to be a tad more symmetrical. 

Our neighbours  have lots of flowering currant shrubs in this part of their garden which are all in bloom now and their lovely scent, along with the sunshine, made this part of the back garden a rather super place to be working in. 

Sorry for the "yellowness" of this photo but I had to close the curtains as the sun was shining through the windows so brightly!  Anyhoo, I thought I'd show you that Miss Schlumbergera is merrily in bloom again, after putting on a lovely display back in November 😍 

A breath of fresh air

image from Clipart Library

Of course what I really mean is we've had a couple of rather windy days, albeit with blue skies and plenty of sunshine 😉  Nevertheless, it's been lovely to get out in the garden again even if the thought of all the work to be done is a tad disheartening!

You may recall that last year I moved the strawberries into a new bed.  I'm happy to report that they've come through the winter unscathed and are all starting to put out lovely new green leaves 😊  We didn't get any further with the bed then, but Adrian got the frame for the netting built last week, using leftover poles from frames that had been dismantled.  On Tuesday we got the plastic mesh ~ also salvaged from old dismantled frames ~ attached to the frames.  Never let it be said that we don't try to re-use what we already have LOL  

To be fair we haven't noticed any of the local feline population trying to use this bed as a new loo, but we weren't going to take any risks as the buggers do poop in the garden borders from time-to-time 😒  I'll add a finer mesh cover later in the year, when the strawberries start to ripen up, to keep the birds at bay. 

Another job that Adrian got done was to alter how the frames are attached to the beds.  Originally he'd used plumbing pipe clips which were okay to start with, but gradually they got misshapen with use.  We had a good think about it and finally thought of attaching short lengths of plastic pipe to the sides of the beds for the poles of the frames to slide into.  It's worked out very well, and I think it looks much neater too.

I mentioned last week that the rhubarb was starting to come through.  Goliath is really getting into its stride, and I may have to start picking some of the stalks soon!  Fulton's Strawberry Surprise (which I moved from the back garden last year), in the middle of the bed, is also coming through more strongly now.

I was a little concerned about the non-appearance of Timperley Early but ~ ta daa! ~ it's finally put in an appearance 😄 

I've been a little disappointed with the seasonal bedding plants I put in last autumn as I lost a lot of plants over winter.  Still, this little pot of pansies (Matrix Mix Coastal Sunrise) has managed to cope with the weather and is starting to look very pretty.  As you can see, the compost seems to have dropped somewhat in this pot, so perhaps the fact that the little plants are lower in the pot has helped to protect them as there isn't much shelter from the wind in the kitchen garden!  I have some in the planter on the kitchen windowsill which have also come through the winter unscathed, although it's much more sheltered in the kitchen courtyard area which has probably helped.   

 As you can see, the bulbs I planted for cutting are coming through very nicely.  The only trouble is I keep forgetting to actually get out there and cut them for the house whilst they are still in bud!  Oh well, I know the idea works so I'll try again next year 😉

And finally, despite that chilly breeze yesterday afternoon, the temperature in the greenhouse got up to 30℃ ~  very cosy 😊

It's another lovely sunny day today, so I'm going to make the most of it and get back outside again ~ there's certainly no lack of stuff to get done! 

Little words of wisdom

 

Reading round-up: March 2025

image from Clipart Library

March proved to be a "slow" month for reading.  As I mentioned in my February round-up I struggled to finish Ted ~ A Pawtobiography, which ate into my reading time considerably.  I should have put it to one side to try another time way sooner than I actually did 😏  Anyhoo, here's what I read during March:

The Moving Finger (Miss Marple series): 

Agatha Christie

Crochet Makes From Scrap Cakes: Naomi Vincent

Hello Tiny World: Ben Newell

Fitwaffle's Easy Air Fryer: Eloise Head

Corner-to-Corner Blankets to Crochet: Leonie Morgan

Create Your Own Crochet Blankets: Jessica Leggett

Only one fiction book last month, but reading is reading whether that be fiction or non-fiction, so I've actually read more than I was giving myself credit for 😉   Let's see what April brings! 

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)    

Reading round-up: February 2025

image from Clipart Library

I completely forgot to share with you what I read during February 😏  I only managed three books, one of which I'd started back in January:

High Island Blues (George & Molly Palmer-Jones series book 8): Ann Cleeves

(started in January)

The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple series): Agatha Christie

The Body in the Library (Miss Marple series): Agatha Christie

 I also tried to get through a book that I got Adrian for Christmas (after he'd finished reading it of course LOL): Ted ~ A Pawtobiography: My Adventures on Gone Fishing by Ted the Dog.  Adrian is a big fan of Gone Fishing, in which Ted features alongside Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse.  He thoroughly enjoyed the book but I confess that I found it pretty hard going to be honest, and in the end decided to put it to one side to perhaps try again sometime in the future.  It's not that there was anything particularly "wrong" with the book, and as I say, Adrian found it a great read.  Just not my "thing" I guess 🤷

So, only three books in February and March is looking pretty sparse as well!  Let's see what I can manage over the last few days of the month 😉

Little words of wisdom

 

Views from a garden

image from Freepik

When I was out in the front garden taking photos a couple of weeks ago ~ and depressing myself with how much work needs to be done this year 😉 ~ I also took some snaps of the more distant landscapes.  I never tire of the views from our house and garden, we really are so very lucky to live here 😍

Our neighbour has had the tree surgeon in recently, so we now have even better views.....

and it's easier to see down into the harbour.

The sheep very obligingly decided to mill about just where the gap between two houses is so I could take a photo of them 😄  This is the spot where we get the bus driver to drop us off when we've had a jaunt out to Kirkwall.  We're lucky here in that if it's safe to do so, then the drivers will let you out even if it's not an official stop.

I took this photo some weeks back.  We often have spectacular sunsets and sunrises ~ I just wish I was a better photographer!

Carefully curated snippets!

image from Clipart Library

Yes, I know I've been MIA yet again since my last post!  My only excuse really ~ as I've done bugger all these last couple of weeks ~ is that because I've felt decidedly unwell, I just couldn't be bothered to even sit at the PC let alone attempt to put my brain cells in gear to write anything 😔 It's not even as if the cold was one of those major 'flu-like things, but it sure has knocked the stuffing out of both of us!  Perhaps it's another of the joys of getting older, and our systems just don't cope so well with bugs these days 😒

Anyhoo, we are both feeling very much better than we were, thankfully, although I am running a few days behind Adrian.   He's actually felt well enough to do some work in the kitchen garden, making slight alterations to the frames around the raised beds.  I'll take some photos when he's finished 😊

 As the title of this post suggests, though, I did take some photos before the dreaded cold reared its ugly head, trying not to show the full horror of the work that needs to be done all round the garden this year as it's more than a little embarrassing that the garden is in such a sorry state again! 

There's not a lot happening in the kitchen garden at the moment, as you might expect, although life is stirring in the rhubarb bed.  Goliath is coming through strongly, and you can just see the Fulton's Strawberry Surprise (moved from the back garden) poking through the soil beside it.  There's no sign of the Timperley Early, the other new crown planted last year ~ I'm hoping that it's just a bit slower than the other two.  

When I took these photos the narcissus and tulips were all coming through nicely.  They are very much more advanced now and to be honest, with feeling so unwell, I've rather lost the opportunity to actually cut some of them for the house and have them actually last any length of time!  I do still have most of them to get to the cutting stage, though, and it's been a very worthwhile experiment that I shall definitely repeat again next year.  

The crocuses were starting to go over when I took these photos, and they've disappeared now.  They are very pretty, cheerful little plants and it's always a joy when they start to appear.

The path border (that we will grass over at some point) was looking very bare but I'd forgotten just how many daffodils are in there!  They were just starting to come through when I took these photos (they are later flowering ones).  I shall dig them out when they've finished flowering and dot clumps around the borders on both sides of the garden.

This is one of the borders that didn't get tackled last year ~ as you can see!  Still, the hellebores don't seem bothered by the neglect, and they have flowered beautifully this year.  I should have waited to take photos until the plants were in full swing 😄

Cute little narcissus poking through the detritus beside the hellebores.

It's always lovely to see the peonies coming through.  These were moved from elsewhere in the garden.  I've often read that peonies hate to be moved, but I've never found that they hold a grudge 😉

The two little holly shrubs that I moved from the other side of the garden last year have made it through the winter, and are looking nicely settled in their new home.

This is the planter in the kitchen courtyard that I grew lettuces in last year.  I planted it with primroses Scentsation Rhubard and Custard, and some clumps of narcissus Tete a Tete.  The primroses haven't fared well, neither have the ones I planted in the old wheelbarrow in the front garden.  I may have to think of a better way to grow them next year.  Perhaps plant them in pots or large trays and keep them sheltered in the arbour seat over the worst of the winter months, then plant them out 🤔  Something to think about, anyway.   

I thought I'd take another photo of the narcissus now that they are flowering.  They are so pretty and are such a cheerful sight from the kitchen window 😊

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)